Silver Alert (Wadena News)
Silver Alert, by Senator Pamela Wallin
Article appeared in the Wadena news on 28 May 2018
We all know someone, or have a family member that is affected by dementia, Alzheimer’s, or some other cognitive impairment. There are always fears that they would leave home and become lost. This is a fear that many thousands of families and caregivers experience every day.
A Silver Alert system would mirror the successful Amber Alert – which is used to locate missing and abducted children. And given the similarity of the systems, they could easily be integrated, making the Silver Alert a cost effective strategy to find our loved ones.
Alberta and Manitoba have led the way in Canada by passing bills implementing the system. Ontario attempted to create a system, but it fell victim to an election call in 2011.
Many jurisdictions in the United States also have Silver Alert systems. Statistics from cities and states from our southern neighbor show the system has been an effective strategy. Wisconsin’s system activated in 2014, and in its first five months saved the lives of fifteen elderly people, including an eighty year old man found injured, lying in a farm field – a familiar fear for families in rural areas. Police cited the system as a direct reason for his rescue.
In Florida, Silver Alert is utilized on a regular basis to locate those missing and is regularly successful. A wide range of people have helped locate folks as described in success stories – police officers, hospital staff, convenience store workers, and ordinary citizens all assisted after recognizing someone who was the subject of a Silver Alert.
In Texas, where the Amber Alert was created, the Silver Alert system has been active since 2007. In its first year, it was successful in almost all cases.
And in Indiana, the Silver Alert has been successful in 200 of its 235 activations since its inception in 2009, demonstrating clearly that the system is working.
Creating Silver Alert here in Canada would be an excellent complement to many initiatives currently in place – such as Project Lifesaver, a program giving folks with dementia access to tracking bracelets, or the dementia village in Langley, BC set to open next year.
There are more than 700,000 Canadians today living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The number of diagnoses are estimated to double in the next fifteen years.
The numbers paint a dire picture in our country that sees an aging population and a greater need for care and support. We already have a law directing the Government to create a national strategy on dementia and Alzheimer’s, but it is key that the Silver Alert be a part of the discussion and solution. However, as we know, Government can move slowly. And we need action sooner than later.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and other cognitive impairments have stigmas attached to them which makes it hard for many to talk about their experiences and seek help. But a national Silver Alert strategy could help us all understand the reality of living with the disease or other impairment. Sympathy for those suffering is one thing – empathy for their situation is key to helping us understand how we can help.
The Silver Alert is not exactly like an Amber Alert, where victims are often transported across provincial borders – the nature of Silver Alert is much more local – so a federal network would help each of the provincial or territorial systems communicate and collaborate.
The Federal government should take national leadership to initiate a conversation to create a strategy and a network for provincial, territorial, municipal and media partners to work together.
So let’s send a message to the Government that the Silver Alert system should be initiated nationwide – let’s help our families, caregivers and most importantly, our loved ones to feel safe and secure.